


We All Need Somebody

by justsayshh



Category: How to Get Away with Murder
Genre: Also emotional abuse TW, And Father Issues TW, Anxiety, Depression, F/M, Gen, I just put underage because I wasn't sure if people would be uncomfortable, I promised myself I would keep it completely fluff okay, It's teen and up for swearing and mental illness stuff, They're not sexually involved
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2016-08-12
Packaged: 2018-07-15 13:55:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7225048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justsayshh/pseuds/justsayshh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I just...never thought I could depend on an adult male," Laurel whispered. It sounded pathetic. She hated sounding pathetic.<br/>"You've got to tell him," Michaela murmured as she rubbed small circles on Laurel's back.<br/>"But what if it ruins everything?" Laurel was close to a panic attack.<br/>"It won't ruin anything," Connor said.<br/>"Yeah, for real. It won't ruin anything," Asher piped up. He never knew how to comfort Laurel during a panic or an anxiety attack, but just being there always made Laurel smile, if only just a little bit.<br/>"It's going to be okay, Laurel," Wes reassured her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Whoo! Fluff! I promised, didn't I? Also I kind of just realized that I could put in italicized stuff and bolded stuff...I'm really not good at this, so my apologies for formatting.  
> Also, sorry this "chapter" is so short. I wanted to get this uploaded asap and my other chapters are way longer, so they're taking a while for me to edit on top of me getting distracted by work and music. Think of this as like...a teaser.

Father's Day was always the worst day of the year for Laurel. She never knew what to get her father, which was a problem, but she also never  _wanted_ to give him anything. A few months away at boarding school to get her ready for high school had pretty much confirmed what she already knew: her father was an awful, awful person, and she didn't deserve to be put down by him. She decided, though she would never tell anyone, that once she was gone at high school in Philadelphia, she wasn't coming back home other than to visit. Laurel already had a cousin who agreed she could stay during the summer, and once high school was done? She could go wherever she wanted. She didn't intend on looking back.

So when her dad found her lying on her bed and listening to old records when she was supposed to be downstairs for Father's Day brunch, she, for once in her life, didn't care about him yelling at her. She actually tuned him out for most of it, imagining how different her life would be away from him. The only time she felt bad about herself that Father's Day was when she was helping her mom cook dinner. Her mother didn't deserve to be left alone with her father, either. Laurel never understood why her mom wouldn't just divorce him already. Laurel was the youngest, and she was off to high school. It wasn't like her parents splitting up would be a horrific event. She remembered how close they had gotten when she had tried to commit suicide about a year earlier. Her father wanted her to pay for the damage she did to his car, which she had planned to drive straight into the ocean that glistened almost right at the bottom of her driveway. Her mom was furious, horrified that the only thing her father cared about was the damage to the car. He had gone so far as to ask if she  _really_ needed all those psychiatry appointments. Laurel also remembered laying in bed next to her mother, falling asleep for the first time in what felt like forever, when her mom left to go get her some Advil and the unmistakable footprints of her father woke her up. She still remembered his words, and how the first time she realized all of her fears weren't just a result of childish paranoia. They were rooted in fact. The cold, hard fact that her father saw her as just another mouth to feed, just another thing that cost him money.

_I almost considered hiding the keys to the cars while I was away with your brothers, you know, since my sister totaled my father's car when we were teenagers. But I thought, no, she wouldn't be so stupid._

Then she remembered her mom coming back, finding Laurel shaking, dehydrated to the point where no more tears were falling, just dry sobs shaking her already frail body. 

Ever since she realized how awful her father was, their "relationship" was never the same. Laurel couldn't even fake it anymore. The only thing she deeply regretted about her relationship with her father was the residual effects it had. She wasn't able to trust any male above the age of 18 or so. Whenever her male teachers wanted to talk to her after class, she would get nauseous and throw up in the bathroom as soon as the meeting was over. Her father had never laid a finger on her, but she finally realized that his emotional abuse had affected her in horrible ways. She couldn't trust adult males because she was afraid they would manipulate her like her father. She was afraid they would tell her how worthless she was, how she didn't mean anything, but not outright, because that would make it too easy. No, they would tell her by not supporting anything she did. They would tell her by "always working" whenever she had a performance or a mock trial, but taking weeks off to vacation with her brothers. Because that's what her father did.

Laurel hated to sound like a cliche, but god, she could not wait to get to high school.


	2. August- Freshman Year

 

"Laurel, you've got everything, yes?"

"Yeah, mom, I'm fine. I'm ready," Laurel gave her mom one last, long hug before she set foot onto campus. Since she was a boarder, she had to get there a week earlier than everyone else, which she didn't mind one bit.

"Sorry your father couldn't be here. He had meetings all day yesterday and today."

"It's fine, mom."

"Okay," her mom sighed, then gave her a reassuring smile. 

"Hi! Are you a new freshman boarder? I'm Asher, and I'm a sophomore here," an overly-enthusiastic brown-haired boy walked up to Laurel. He was basically as stereotypical white prep school boy as someone could possibly be, dressed in a polo with the school's logo, pastel shorts, and boat shoes.

"Yeah. I'm Laurel," Laurel said, smiling.

"Okay! Let me see..." Asher glanced down at the clipboard he was carrying. "What's your last name?"

"Castillo."

"Hmm...Lauren, all I'm seeing on this list is a Laurel Castillo. It's possible it's a typo, though. Our seniors are a bit spacey these days."

"Not a typo. My name is Laurel."

"Oh! Sorry about that! Okay, well, Laurel, if you're all ready to go, I'll take you and your mom up to your dorm for you to get settled!" 

"Great, thanks," Laurel replied, glancing at her mom, who was standing behind her. They followed Asher to a giant brick building almost at the center of campus. Laurel figured it looked nice on the inside as the outside was clearly well-maintained, but perhaps the outside was taken care of due to its location, seeing as it would be one of the first dorms people saw when they came to visit.

"Okay...here we are! I'm not actually allowed up there, since I'm a guy and all, but you're on floor four, room 25. I think your roommate is already up there. If you need anything, don't hesitate to find me!" Asher said, shaking Laurel's and her mom's hands before walking over to another incoming freshman. 

The ride up to Laurel's room was relatively silent. Her mom was tense, Laurel could tell, but she wasn't freaking out, which Laurel took to be a good sign. She knew her mom was worried about her mental state, but really, being at boarding school was going to help. They quickly reached her room, the door proudly displaying 'MICHAELA' and 'LAUREL' in painted letters. Laurel took a deep breath, then opened the door.

"Oh, hi. You must be Lauren," the girl whom Laurel assumed was Michaela walked over and stuck out her hand. Laurel took in Michaela's clothes. Originally, Laurel had been worried that she might get stuck with someone who had hardly any money, which would make her uncomfortable seeing as her family was so rich. She didn't have a problem with people with less money (honestly, who  _didn't_ have less money than her family?) but it usually made her feel guilty. Why should she have so much money when others didn't? Michaela, however, was wearing a dress from J. Crew that Laurel recognized because her cousin owned the same one.

"Actually, it's Laurel. And you must be Michaela," Laurel corrected, taking Michaela's hand.

"Ugh! Sorry. I'm really bad with names," Michaela apologized. "I've already put my stuff on the right side of the room, but the left is all yours."

"Thanks," Laurel grinned, bringing her boxes and bags over to the bed Michaela had indicated. It didn't take her that long to unpack, as she had decided it would be better to pack lighter and buy clothes in Philadelphia since the weather was a lot different back home in Palm Beach. After one last hug and kiss goodbye from her mother, Laurel was all alone with her roommate.

"So. Where are you from?" Michaela asked, sitting down on her bed while Laurel sat down on hers.

"Palm Beach. You?"

"Oooh, fancy. Chicago. Family?"

"Three brothers and a sister. My mom is a stay-at-home mom, but she does wedding planning. My dad owns a pretty big business near my house."

"Wow. I'm an only child, so I can't imagine living with four siblings. My mom is a lawyer, and my dad is a graphic designer."

"Wait, that's awesome that your mom is a lawyer. I'm actually thinking of becoming one," Laurel sheepishly told the other girl. She hadn't told anyone before.

"Yeah? Me too! I actually signed up for a bunch of extra electives, and I'm planning on joining the mock trial team."

"Same! I signed up for Constitutional Law and Forensics. I didn't know there was a mock trial team."

"You should totally join! And yeah, I singed up for Constitutional Law and Forensics as well!"

"Okay, so at least we'll know someone in at least two of our classes."

"Thank god. This school is way bigger than my middle school."

"We should probably head down to the orientation table. I think they have our schedules, login info...stuff like that."

"Oh, right! Yeah, okay," Michaela smiled, letting Laurel lead the way. Once the two girls were out of their dorm building, they noticed a lot more people had arrived. Pushing their way to the orientation table, they finally got their schedules and everything else they needed. They were ready to go on their "orientation adventure" as the school liked to call it.

"Okay, everyone! Can I have your attention please?" Asher stood up on a chair with a microphone, trying to get all 100 of the freshman boarding students to pay attention. "At the top of your orientation packet, you'll see a name sticker. The color on the sticker is what group you're in. You should be with your roommate so you can get to know each other better."

"We're both on blue," Michaela whispered to Laurel, who was too busy scanning the crowd and the campus to look through the giant stack of papers she held in her hands.

"Alright. I need Red with Khan, who's a junior. Green, you're with Charlotte, a senior. Purple, Toby, sophomore. Yellow...uh, she's sick...so you're going to be with Emma, who's a senior. Okay...Pink is with Jessica, junior. Orange, Mitchell, senior. Blue, you're with me, Asher, and I'm a sophomore..."

Michaela and Laurel quickly moved over to where the blue group seemed to be forming, hoping to avoid the chaos of everyone moving at once once all groups had been announced. There, they found themselves among eight other students, who all seemed to be just as nervous as they were. Asher quickly came over and greeted everyone with an enthusiastic hey.

"Ice breaker time! Let's all stand in a circle and say our names, where we're from, and what we're interested in. And pay attention, because there's going to be a competition later to see who remembers the most! So I'll start. I'm Asher Millstone, and I'm from here, so I'm actually not a boarding student. I'm personally very interested in science, specifically forensics. We got a new Forensics teacher last year, Mr. Delfino, and he's the best. You'll meet him later. Anyway, let's move on to the next person!"

"I'm Connor Walsh. I'm from New York. And...uh...I guess I'm interested in cultural studies."

"Wes Gibbins. I'm Connor's roommate. I'm from LA. And I am interested in history."

"I'm Oliver Hampton. I'm also from New York. And I like computer science."

"Conrad Thenard. Iowa. Hmm...I'm kind of interested in everything."

"Nicole Smythe, Boston, English."

"Charlotte Hansen. I'm actually from a bunch of different places, but I guess the place I'd say I'm from is Nashville. And...uh...I like music."

"Emma Bernard. I'm from Vermont. And I like environmental studies and English."

"Sara Pychek. I'm from Michigan. And I like biology."

"Hi, I'm Michaela Pratt, and I'm from Chicago. I'm really interested in criminal studies. I want to be a lawyer."

"I'm Laurel Castillo. I'm from Palm Beach, Florida, and I really like criminal studies, forensics, and music."

"Okay, great! everyone get all that? I'm glad most of you seem to be interested in criminal stuff in some form, though I suppose that's why you're all in my group. If you'll just follow me, we're actually going to go check out the Forensics classroom and lab right now!" Asher held up a blue flag and marched his way to the science building with 10 freshmen in tow. As soon as they arrived, Laurel was speechless. She knew private high schools had a lot of money, but this was ridiculous. It was a fully functional forensics lab. Inside a high school. They entered the classroom one by one and each sat at lab desks with their roommates, Asher standing next to the door. Laurel looked up and caught Mr. Delfino staring at her. She wasn't going to lie. He was pretty attractive. Like...very attractive. He was wearing a three-piece suit, had gorgeous blue eyes, and had a very well-groomed beard. Laurel's breath hitched in her throat.  _No. You will not be one of those girls,_ Laurel thought to herself, trying desperately to ignore how his eyes were still on her as everyone finished filing in. And then he had to start talking.

"Hey. I'm Mr. Delfino, and I teach Forensics here, which I assume you already knew. I teach a half-credit elective course for freshmen and a full-credit science elective for upperclassmen. I figure I'll save the absolute formal introduction for when I have some of you in class, as I wouldn't want to bore the rest of you with the details. Basically though, I'm from Philly, born and raised, and I can totally hook you up with the best cheese-steaks in town. So, let's get started on our activity, shall we?" Laurel didn't know she would be so attracted to a man who was obviously so much older than her, but his voice was infatuating. She hated herself for simply staring at him and listening to his voice rather than listening to directions, but she figured if she got all of her gross hormonal stuff out of the way now, she would be normal later. She, Laurel Castillo, would NOT crush on a teacher. As soon as the activity was done, however, Laurel ended up in the back of the line and caught Mr. Delfino's eye.

"Hi," she said. It sounded a little breathless, so Laurel cleared her throat as if a phlegm-filled throat was the problem.

"Hey," Mr. Delfino responded, smiling. "What's your name?"

"Laurel. Laurel Castillo."

"Laurel Castillo," he repeated. He said Laurel. Not Lauren. That would be the first person today. Laurel loved how he pronounced her name.  _Focus,_ she chided herself. God. This was not happening to her.

"I'm actually taking your elective," Laurel grinned.

"That's awesome to hear. I'll look for you in class," he winked. "I'm just pleasantly surprised there's a girl."

"What?" Laurel was shaken out of her strange infatuation with her new teacher.

"You know. Not a lot of girls take Forensics. I'm a bit of a ball buster. I think there  _are_ stupid questions. Plus, most girls don't go into STEM anyway. They've got to take care of their children, when they come. You know how it is."

"No, I don't. You're a misogynistic ass," Laurel replied coldly, turning her shoulder and walking out the door as quickly as possible. She quickly realized what she had said and wanted to go back and apologize, but Asher was already moving them forward. Laurel was on the verge of having a panic attack. She just mouthed off to a teacher. What the hell was she going to do? Laurel quickly took one of her anxiety pills to stop the attack from happening.  _What a great start,_ _Laurel._

Well, at least she knew she wasn't going to be crushing on Mr. Delfino.


	3. September- Freshman Year

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in order for this to not be too long, I'm thinking after this chapter, freshman year is going to start going by in 2-3 month increments per chapter. Then for sophomore and junior year, it'll just be special moments they share together. And then senior year...well, that's when Laurel is legal. In January. But let's just say they can't hold out any longer once her senior year hits.   
> In total? About 4 chapters left of freshman year, then 2-3 chapters of sophomore year, 2-3 chapters of junior year, and about 7 chapters of senior year. So that's...15-17 more chapters. And I'll probably add stuff after Laurel graduates, so we're looking at about 20 chapters. Yay!

Laurel managed to avoid Mr. Delfino on the remaining days of orientation, which Laurel considered a stroke of luck she normally didn't have.

Then the freshmen and presumably other new students received the email telling them who their academic adviser would be. And, in the level of luck Laurel was used to having, she received none other than the man she had been trying to avoid all week. She had even considered dropping his class, but really,  _really_ wanted to wipe the smug-ass grin on his face when he said how girls usually couldn't keep up in his class.

"Do you know if we're allowed to switch out of our advisory groups?" Laurel asked the day before the first day of school. She was sitting on her bed, reading a book (or rather, looking at it- she wasn't able to pay attention to anything since her conversation with Mr. Delfino), the window open, letting in the new fall breeze that had finally arrived. She hoped she had asked Michaela in a nonchalant way.

"Not until the end of the year unless there's, like, a major problem or something."

"What qualifies as a major problem?"

"I dunno, they don't exactly specify in the handbook. Why? Who'd you get?"

"Mr. Delfino," Laurel mumbled.

"Sorry?"

"Mr. Delfino."

"Yeah, what the hell is going on with you two? You left his classroom that first day in a weird mood," Michaela was attempting to be casual about it, but Laurel could tell she really wanted the juicy gossip, considering Michaela had actually looked up from texting her long-distance boyfriend, Aiden.

"I...I just said something I regret. That's all." Michaela narrowed her eyes and put down her phone.

"You don't strike me as that kind of person who's just rude to a teacher or something for no reason. Spill."

"We...we had a conversation about the Forensics class he offers to freshmen. I...okay, I thought he was cute, and wanted to talk to him more-"

"Everyone thought he was cute, but go on."

"-anyway, he said something about how girls usually drop out of his class because he's a 'hardass' or whatever and I ended up calling him a misogynistic ass."

"Like, word for word?"

"Word for word." Michaela paused for a second, trying not to smirk.

"It sounds completely warranted, honestly. Laurel, it'll be fine. He  _is_ cute. And I think you're the only girl in his advisory other than that Rebecca chick who's a sophomore. Oh,  _and_ you get to be with Asher!"

"Lucky me."

"Lucky you!" Michaela laughed, then returned to her phone. Maybe what Laurel had done wasn't as bad as she was making it out to be. Leave it to her anxiety to blow up yet another situation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay, advisory time. I've got to head to Ms. Keating's. You'll be fine, Laurel. And remember to sign up for the mock trial team tryouts later," Michaela gave Laurel a reassuring pat on the back before heading off into the opposite direction. Taking a deep breath and ready to swallow her pride, Laurel walked into Mr. Delfino's classroom, ready to apologize. Despite what Michaela had said, she had still talked back to a teacher, so she figured she would try to start the year with a clean slate. That idea was shattered, however, when she saw Asher, Rebecca, and the other kids in their advisory sitting in the room. She was the only freshman.

"Alright, delinquents, I've got to take attendance and make sure you're all set with your classes and where they are and blah blah bl- oh, hi, Laurel," Mr. Delfino had walked in from his office door almost right as Laurel sat down. Making awkward eye contact, he cleared his throat and then directed his words to his returning students. "Guys, this is Laurel. She's our only freshman. Don't scare her. Okay, maybe you can scare her a little bit. But not too much. Give her the low-down on our advisory rules and introduce yourselves."

"I'm Asher. But you already knew that. Uh...rule number one! Call him Frank."

"Rebecca. Rule number two...call him Frank. That's it," Rebecca said, rolling her eyes at Mr. Delfino- _Frank_ , Laurel corrected herself. Rebecca sort of seemed like she didn't want to be there, sort of seemed like this was just her relationship with Frank. 

"Yeah. That's it," Frank admitted, shrugging. "Alright, since you know what you're doing-or at least, pretend like you do-I'm going to talk to Laurel alone and dismiss the rest of you. See ya."

Laurel watched as the rest of the students jumped off their respective desks and headed out the door before turning to address Mr. Del- _Frank._ God, that was going to take some getting used to. Calling teachers by their first name.

"Listen, Mr. Del-"

"Frank-"

"Right, Frank. Listen. About the other day-"

"I was absolutely an ass and you were right to call me out on it.

"Oh."

"Wait, hold on. Were you going to apologize to  _me_?" He looked genuinely amused. Laurel shrugged. "The one other rule around here? I'm an idiot. You've got to tell me pretty much every day because I forget. And...just in general, Laurel? Don't apologize for speaking up, 'kay?"

"Yeah, alright," Laurel managed a small grin, not looking up at him, completely shocked by what had just happened. She expected him to yell, to kick her out of his advisory and his class. She had really read him wrong.

"Also. I heard you have a history of anxiety and depression. It's something that, as your adviser, I'm supposed to know about. I just want you to know I'm here for you, okay? For whatever you need. No matter how small you think it is. If it's bothering you, I want to hear about it," Frank seemed to actually care. Laurel almost started crying. She had never been shown so much compassion by an adult other than her mother and her therapist before.

"I...okay. Thanks," Laurel managed a real smile this time, though still not looking at Frank. "I should probably tell you I have some problems with male authority figures. Not only do I have anxiety and depression, but I've got daddy issues. I'm the whole package," Laurel joked. She wasn't really sure what had gotten into her. She never had felt this comfortable with someone before.

"I'm here when you're ready," Frank searched for her eyes, trying to get her to look at him. When their eyes finally met, Laurel really did almost start crying. She saw genuine care for her. He wasn't faking it.

"Thanks," Laurel replied, nodding. Frank gripped her shoulder for a brief moment. Laurel swore she felt a spark. Shit.

"Okay, well, first bell rings in about a minute. You should get going, and I'll see you during class later," Frank smiled, walking her to the door. Laurel simply nodded and tried to walk casually out of the classroom.

No. She was not. She would not. She couldn't...

Oh, forget it. Laurel Castillo had a blooming crush on Frank Delfino.


	4. Freshman Fall

**September (cont.)**

Laurel became the top student in the Forensics class. Her classmates either said it was because she was in Frank's advisory or because she was weirdly smart ("It's always the quiet ones," Asher had grumbled after Laurel had gotten an answer correct on a test he had failed, and he had argued with Frank about it during advisory). Michaela thought it was her growing crush. Laurel knew it was because Frank actually cared about what happened to her, so she wanted to show him she appreciated his care by putting his class, even though it was only a half-credit, first. Laurel wasn't surprised when she was selected as a finalist for the mock trial team after her initial written application. Michaela had obviously made it through to the next round as well, so the two spent far too much money on Red Bull and pizza while working on their speeches for the actual tryouts in front of Ms. Keating (whom Michaela said insisted be called Annalise), Ms. Winterbottom (who apparently went by Bonnie), and, of course, Frank. 

"Okay, I'm Annalise. I don't know why you've decided to sign up for this, but perhaps it's because I made you or because you seem to think I'm as nice as my colleagues, Frank and Bonnie. We go by first names here. You're not completely children, so I hope you're not expecting to be treated as such," Annalise greeted 200 students from all different grade levels. 

"If you really wanna do this, you need to show us you care. Give us ideas we haven't heard before. Don't ask stupid questions. If you think you've got a stupid question, ask Bonnie," Frank added on.

"Or you can give us answers. Even if they're completely wrong, we want to hear them," Bonnie rolled her eyes at Frank.

"So here's how this is going to work. Each student has 60 seconds exactly to present a defense for the case we assigned. Go over the time limit, you're out of the competition. Nobody can repeat the same idea. If you do, you're out of the competition. We have two teams, split into underclassmen and upperclassmen. And a final note- just because you were on the team last year, absolutely does not mean you will be on the team this year, regardless of whether your team level is changing," Annalise concluded.

After all the students had given their speeches, Annalise, Frank, and Bonnie spent an hour talking in Annalise's office. It was the longest hour of Laurel's life. Once she had heard everyone else present, she was pretty sure her speech had been the worst. Michaela's had been one of the best.

"Hope you all are ready. The underclassman team this year will be the first of its kind in this school's history, with only one sophomore and four freshmen. That sophomore, who will be a returning student, is Asher Millstone. Please join us up front. The rest of you can leave," Annalise addressed the sophomore area. Asher let out a whoop and the rest of the sophomores left in frustration. "Now for our freshmen. Michaela Pratt. Connor Walsh. Wes Gibbins. And...Laurel Castillo."

Frank winked at her as she took her place at the front of the classroom with Michaela, Connor, Wes, and Asher while the rejected freshmen left in frustration.

"You earned it," he whispered behind him with a smile. He turned around while the upperclassman team was announced, but Laurel smiled back.

Michaela elbowed her with a smirk.

**October**

"Come  _on,_ Laurel. The Halloween party is gonna be super fun. Let's go," Michaela whined, tugging on her roommate's sleeve while her boyfriend, Aiden, who had come to visit, stood by the door. They were at Annalise's house on campus for last-minute mock trial preparation, and Michaela and Laurel were the only ones who hadn't left for the big Halloween party on campus.

"We have so much work to do for the mock trial competition that's two days from now, Michaela," Laurel reminded her.

"We've done all we can do. Seriously. Ask Bonnie."

"Fine. I'll go ask," Laurel grumbled and walked over to Bonnie's desk. Annalise was who-knows-where, so Bonnie was in charge for the night. "Hey, Bonnie...so I think I've done enough for today. Not much left to do until Asher gives us his defense, so I was thinking maybe I could leave?"

"If you want to go to the Halloween party, just ask," Bonnie chided. 

"Oh, come on, just because we don't have lives anymore doesn't mean the kids can't. Let her go," Frank said, shrugging a shoulder.

"Teachers are invited, you know," Laurel said.

"No, we have work to do, too. Midterms are coming up," Bonnie replied. Frank frowned, but motioned for Laurel to leave, so she, Michaela, and Aiden headed out.

Laurel was watching Asher and a bunch of other white sophomore boys who would probably be frat boys in college make weird speeches when out of nowhere, she heard a voice behind her.

"Listen, I'm all for gun control, but man, I either want to shoot myself or shoot them to let them out of their misery," the boy said into her ear, then sticking out his hand. "Khan."

"Laurel. You a sophomore here, too?"

"Aw, man, do I look like a sophomore? Nah, I'm a junior. I hear you're on the underclassman mock-trial team."

"Yeah, I am."

"That's really impressive."

"Because I'm a girl?"

"What? Nah! No way! Impressive because you're a freshman. Usually they're all sophomores, but I hear your grade has given them a run for their money," Khan smiled. Laurel smiled back. He was cute, she liked him, oh, what the hell. Frank was never happening, and a boy was flirting with her.

"Want to go get a drink upstairs?" Laurel asked, nodding towards the area where the punch was. Khan nodded. The teachers chaperoning looked absolutely bored out of their minds, so they honestly weren't paying attention when Laurel leaned in for a kiss about an hour later.

_Two Days Later,_ **November**

"Hey," Laurel cheerfully greeted Frank as she got on the bus for the mock trial competition. Frank ignored her.  _What the hell._

"'Morning," Wes said as Laurel took her seat next to Michaela across from him and Connor.

"Hey. Did Frank say hi to you guys this morning?" Laurel asked.

"Yeah, why? He seems like he's in a weird mood, though," Wes responded.

"Definitely a weird mood," Connor added, and Michaela nodded.

"Well, kudos to you, Laurel, for Khan," Asher piped in from behind Laurel and Michaela. Laurel blushed. "Yeah, we all saw that sloppy makeout. Frank was so disgusted he had to leave."

"Frank was there?" Laurel swallowed, and caught Frank's eyes in the mirror. He looked...hurt? No, probably embarrassed one of his advisees was making out at a party.

Great. Now she had this mess to deal with.


	5. Freshman Winter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry it's been so long. Life's been crazy.

The bus stopped for a bathroom break about an hour into their two hour drive. Laurel was assured this was the farthest one other than the finals, which would take place in Boston, roughly an 8-hour trip by car, but she didn't mind the long drive. Or, at least, she  _usually_ didn't mind long drives. This long drive, on the other hand, gave her the perfect opportunity to see how angry Frank really was with her. He joked around with all of the other students, even rolled his eyes when Bonnie told them to quiet down a little. When Laurel spoke, though? Frank locked his jaw, turned around in his seat, and pretended to be doing very important work on his laptop in front of him.

"Hey, you guys go on ahead. I don't really need to go," Laurel lied to the group. Michaela gave her a weird look as the two girls had both consumed two cups of coffee and a bottle of water on the way, but joined Asher, Wes, and Connor walking into the rest stop. Laurel waited until all the students, Bonnie, and Annalise had gotten off the bus. Frank was just about to get off when she stopped him. "Hey, Frank?"

"What?" he replied rather shortly. Yikes.

"Uh...I..."

"Just spit it out, Laurel." Laurel was taken aback by his coldness. 

"I...just wanted to make sure everything was okay. You aren't...mad at me, or anything...right?"

"Laurel. You're my advisee. I don't think I'm allowed to be mad  _at_ you, maybe just frustrated."

"You just dodged the question. You are mad at me."

"Never mind," Frank shook his head and got off the bus. Great. So nothing was solved then.

When Michaela got back on the bus, she could tell something was wrong.

"Laurel?"

"Hmm?" Laurel looked away from her hands, which were currently fiddling with a hole in her jeans.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Laurel knew she had responded way too quickly, because Michaela narrowed her eyes and Wes, who had gotten back on the bus at the same time, turned towards Laurel with a pitying look. 

"Is this about Frank?" Wes asked. Laurel knew he was just trying to be kind, but she really wished he would leave the conversation between her and Michaela. Then again, he  _was_ becoming one of her friends.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is. I tried talking to him, and...I just think he's mad at me for Khan or something," Laurel's words were rushed as they came tumbling out. Of course, Asher and Connor had returned, and decided they needed to weigh in on the situation as well.

"Look, I don't wanna sound creepy or anything, but I've never seen Frank act the way he acts around you," Asher piped up, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Oh, come on, don't be sick!" Michaela gagged.

"If I was 18, I would want him to-" Connor started.

"Okay, okay, stop. Guys. It's nothing like that," Laurel protested.

"Oh my god, it is! Laurel, are you dating Khan while you have a crush on Frank?" Connor said way too loudly. Luckily, nobody seemed to notice.

"Keep your voice down!" Michaela shushed him.

"Even your roommate knows," Wes added.

"Wait, what? I  _do not-_ " Laurel started to protest.

"Save it. You guys would be cute. Except that he's your teacher. There's a major ew factor here," Michaela rolled her eyes.

"Oh, for crying out loud, I'M DATING KHAN!" Laurel had attracted attention from Frank. Of course.

"Laurel, keep it down. Nobody needs to hear about your personal life's finer details," Frank scolded. Laurel opened her mouth to say something back, but Michaela elbowed her in the ribs. Connor patted Laurel sympathetically on the shoulder, Asher gave her a look that clearly said 'I-told-you-so', Wes gave her puppy eyes, and Michaela just raised her eyebrows. Laurel turned to the window and remained silent for the rest of the trip.

**Two Weeks Later**

Advisory had been miserable. Forensics had been even worse. Laurel got back a test and had gotten a B- on it. Normally, she wouldn't mind, but she compared her answers with Michaela, who had gotten an A-, and they had all been exactly the same. This had gone on long enough. Wasn't Frank supposed to be a mature adult? So one day after class, Laurel hung back while her classmates left in a hurry for lunch.

"You should be going to lunch," Frank barely glanced up.

"I need to talk to you about my test," Laurel approached his desk, shaking with anger.

"Your written portion was abysmal. End of story. Go to lunch, I have to finish writing your midterm."

"Frank. Stop. I don't understand why you're mad at me. I'm dating Khan, is that it?" Laurel was on the verge of screaming. He was such an ass.

"If you must know, I'm concerned he's not good for you," Frank said, looking up.

"Not good for me? He's the top of his class! He's the head of several different clubs!" Laurel protested.

"He's a junior. A junior dating a freshman? Bad sign."

"You know what? Are you just jealous, Frank?" Laurel had hit her breaking point.

"Jealous of what? You're my advisee! Are you implying what I think you're implying? I have a girlfriend, if you  _must_ know, Laurel. I'm not a pervert. I don't go lusting after my students!" Frank was equally as angry. Laurel grit her teeth, shook her head, gathered her things, and stomped out of the classroom. She hated him. Completely.

**Winter Break**

Laurel brought Khan home with her for the first part of winter break. Her mom had insisted she come back, and her cousin had, of course, gotten sick, so Laurel had to spend an entire miserable month at Palm Beach with her father. He did seem to like Khan, which meant at least a week of her break wouldn't be so terrible, but Laurel got the feeling it would end. So when she kissed Khan as the ball dropped, signaling the new year, she savored every minute of it. Frank was a thing of the past. Khan was her boyfriend, and she really, really liked him. She was determined to make it last.

When Khan left, the firestorm that was her father began, and Laurel couldn't say she was surprised. The only person she could talk to was Frank, who was still mad at her. So when she called Frank, crying, on one particularly horrible night, she couldn't believe that he had actually picked up the phone.

"Hi, I'm s-sorry, I-I don't mean to b-bother you-"

"Laurel, hey, wait. Are you crying?" Frank was definitely concerned. Laurel almost was able to smile at the thought that after returning from winter break, she and Frank would be back to normal.

"Ye-yeah. It's...it's my dad."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"C-can I?"

"Of course. Anything you need, okay?" So the whole story came tumbling out. About how amazing her week with Khan was, about how her father had actually seemed decent, how as soon as Khan left he began to pick apart every single thing that was wrong with her, how she couldn't wait to be back at school away from him. When she was done, Frank was silent, and she was afraid he had left the line as soon as she started talking about Khan.

"Frank?" 

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry. I just...Laurel, you know you don't deserve any of this, right?"

"Yeah."

"I want to make sure you know that. Are you just pulling my leg?"

"No. No, I swear. I know that," Laurel answered easily.

"Okay. Just...keep your head up, kiddo. You're amazing and talented and you really, really don't deserve to be put down by someone who's supposed to support you. Okay?" Laurel was silent, overcome with Frank's support. "Laurel?"

"Yeah...sorry. Frank?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

"It's what I'm here for," Frank replied, and Laurel could have sworn he winked. She hung up with him, grabbed herself an Advil, and went to sleep. It would all be okay.

**February**

Everything was back to normal with Frank, as Laurel had suspected when she was on break. The next mock trial competition had come and gone, and her team was on the way to the semifinals, hoping to make finals in the spring. She and Khan were still going strong, and they had become the school's new power couple, which made Laurel blush every time someone mentioned it as she was usually very shy and unused to the spotlight. Connor had finally started dating Oliver after several pushes from Laurel and Michaela, and Wes seemed to have a giant crush on Rebecca. It was definitely Valentine's Day month.

"Alright, everyone. I think we're gonna call it a day, since none of you seem to be able to focus," Frank was amused, though he did seem a bit annoyed that nobody was focusing on their labs. The Valentine's Day dance was later that evening, and everyone was itching to go and get ready. "And behave yourselves later, because I'm a chaperone!"

"Aiden's gonna be here in a minute, so I'll meet you back up at the dorm in 10?" Michaela turned to Laurel as they walked out of the classroom.

"Yeah, sounds good. Do you guys want to grab dinner with me and Khan downtown? We didn't really make any plans, we just knew we wanted to take advantage of us being allowed off-campus."

"Sounds great! I guess we'll talk about it more after?" Michaela saw Khan headed their way. Laurel nodded, then grinned at Khan.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hey, yourself. How was class?"

"It would've been awesome as per usual if any of us could have focused. Also, I hope you don't mind, but I told Michaela she and Aiden could come to dinner with us since we hadn't made reservations or anything."

"The more, the merrier," Khan grinned, kissed the top of Laurel's head, and put his arm around her, wrapping her tightly against him as they stepped outside into the snow.

"This is going to clear up soon, right?" Laurel asked nervously. When it had snowed for the first time, Laurel had been delighted, having only seen fake snow at ski resorts her family had gone to for vacation. It had quickly become old when it fell into her eyelashes, her boots, and gone down her jacket when she and Connor had a snowball fight the next morning. She was a warm-weather girl through and through. Khan smirked.

"Yeah, this year they're saying it'll be gone by March. It's really not that bad this year, though. Usually we have to dig our way out of the residential halls, dig tunnels to get to classes-hey!" Laurel had realized he was joking and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "For real, though, it isn't that bad this year and we've definitely had way worse."

Laurel figured as long as she had Khan, she might be able to brave the next snowstorm.


	6. Freshman Spring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not sorry I needed to include Wildest Dreams because that's my Flaurel song okay? No fighting me on this one. It's their song.
> 
> Also sorry not sorry this chapter is really short...I'm getting impatient with myself to just get them together probably because we're on hiatus and we still don't know where Frank is and Charlie was at the table reading but apparently he hasn't been filming and I'm like???? I need him????? Please????? Anyway, ignore me.

**The Dance**

Laurel had gotten ready way faster than Michaela, though it helped that she had picked out her outfit a week beforehand. A loose, strapless pink dress hugged Laurel's body in all the right places, though it was still age-appropriate. Laurel had just finished putting on her makeup when Michaela emerged triumphantly from the bathroom, wearing a tight red skirt and a white blouse. She turned around for Laurel to see her outfit fully, clearly proud of herself.

"That skirt makes your ass look really good," Laurel commented, grinning.

"Thanks! Aiden thinks so, too. I wore this to a country club event over the summer. Do you have a red lipstick I can borrow? Mine is awful at staying on," Michaela lamented.

"Yeah, I definitely have kiss-proof lipstick around here somewhere...here it is!" Laurel handed a red tube to her roommate. Michaela thanked her and moved to the mirror to do her makeup.

They rode the elevator downstairs, not wanting to take the elevator in heels, and were greeted immediately by Aiden and Khan, who were waiting in the common area.

"You look beautiful, Laurel," Khan remarked, looking absolutely stunned.

"You're alright, Michaela," Aiden joked, earning a soft punch from Michaela. The couples hurried outside, aware the dance was going to start very soon, and made their way over to the gym. They had made it there just in time, tried to find their friends to see if they had changed their minds (none of whom were there besides Asher- Connor found dances stupid and Wes was studying for a test despite the girls' protests), took to the dance floor under tacky, heart-shaped decorations, and started dancing with their classmates. After a few songs, they were exhausted, and went to find drinks and a table. Laurel, however, noticed Frank in a corner, and ran over to greet him.

"Hey," she said, breathless and happy.

"Hey. You look great out there," Frank winked, smiling.

"Laurel! Come on!" Khan was shouting over the music. He, Aiden, and Michaela had found a table.

"Guess I should go," Laurel apologized. Frank nodded and his smile faltered. She was going to say something else, but Michaela shouted after her, so she figured she should really go.

After a few minutes of catching their breath, Laurel and Michaela were ready to go back to the dance floor, especially when Taylor Swift's  _Wildest Dreams_ came on, which had somehow become their song.

_He said let's get out of this town, drive out of the city, away from the crowds_

Laurel and Michaela were singing at the top of their lungs, not caring if anyone else wasn't singing. They quickly began the fake ballroom dance routine they had made up one night in their dorm, laughing.

_I thought heaven can't help me now, nothing lasts forever_

Laurel caught Khan's eye, and he grinned, taking out his phone and no doubt putting her on his Snapchat story.

_But this is gonna take me down_

_He's so tall, and handsome as hell_

Laurel found Frank at the teacher's table when Michaela spun her around. He was staring at her, but before Laurel could try and figure out what he was thinking, Michaela had spun her around again.

_He's so bad but he does it so well_

If Laurel was being honest with herself, her little crush on Frank was still there, deep down, no matter how much she liked Khan.

_I can see the end as it begins, my one condition is_

Maybe a little bit more on the surface.

_Say you'll remember me, standing in a nice dress, staring at the sunset babe_

And maybe it was a bit more than just a little crush.

_Red lips and rosy cheeks_

Aiden had joined them, taking Michaela away from her. Khan had found another junior to talk to, so Laurel was third-wheeling. She once again found Frank's eyes.

_Say you'll see me again even if it's just in your Wildest Dreams_

Frank smiled, but it seemed somewhat forced.

_I said no one has to know what we do, his hands are in my hair, his clothes are in my room_

Khan approached the dance floor, but Laurel didn't notice, stopping her dancing and tilting her head to the side, as if asking Frank what was wrong. At least, that's how she hoped it came across.

_His voice is a familiar sound, nothing lasts forever_

_But this is getting good now_

Khan dragged her to the center of the dance floor, but her eyes were still on Frank.

The song ended, but Laurel sensed something was wrong. Khan didn't let her off the dance floor the rest of the night, which normally, she wouldn't mind, but there was something wrong with Frank and she wanted to talk to him. She shook herself out of it. Frank was an adult. Frank could handle himself. Khan was here, in front of her. Khan was her boyfriend.  _Focus, Laurel, focus._

**March**

Frank was out from school for a month. Laurel was miserable without him, though she would never admit it. March was the worst month she could remember, other than the summer she had tried to kill herself.

She had never gotten to talk to him after the dance.

**April**

Annalise and Bonnie wouldn't tell them what happened. Laurel suspected it had to do with his girlfriend, but she had to ignore his absence for now. They had a mock trial final to prepare for, not to mention their end-of-year exams.

They won the mock trial competition. But someone was missing, so Laurel's celebration was cut short.

**May**

It was Frank's girlfriend. She had cheated on him and gotten pregnant, but that wasn't why Frank was absent. She and the baby had been killed in a car crash.

The last month of school was miserable without him, and Laurel knew she had to go home, as her cousin had decided to move out to California. Just her luck.

But on the last day, a tall figure in a three-piece suit arrived back on campus, and Laurel had never been happier to see someone in her life. She ran to hug him, and they held each other like they would fall apart if they didn't. 


End file.
